Lock for atjtomobile



H. w. McMULLIN.

LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED 1UNE25. i918 Patented Oct- 28,1919

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' 1 ir 9 WW"- H. W. McMULLIN.

LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1915.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. W. McMULLIN. LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILE TOPS.

APPLICATIONFILED JUNEZS, I918- Patented Oct 28,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mamas downwardly through the parts-7 and 8 ofthe frame, its lowerextremity passing" through a" stop collar 30 secured in the lowerportion of thetubular part 7. This rod is also provided at a suitabledistance above the stop collar 30 with a similar collar 31. cated aspiral spring 32.

The stop pin 26 is housedwithin a projec-.

tion 33 formed on the upper part 8 of the frame and extendinginwardlyfrom the lo cation of the bows when the later are in thecollapsed position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 11. i a

This part33 of the-frame is openat the top, being hollow the same as theentire frame member. located a vertically disposed keeper 34;

which passes through the top part 35 of a 'Z-shaped plate 36, one arm 37of the plate being secured to the bottom portion 38 of the casing part33 by means of fastening devices as rlvets 39. The upright part 5L0 ofthe Z-shaped plate is provided with a per-.

forationetl adapted to receive the reduced part 42 of the locking pin26. The keeper. 3 1 passes through an opening in the lowerpart 38 of themember 33 and is freely mov-.

able therein. The upper part of the keeper consists of a reduced stem 13which passes through an opening in the .part 35 of the Z-shaped plate36, the said part 35 being engaged from below by a shoulder 44 betweenthe stem 43 and the body of the keeper. The stem 13 is surrounded by aspiral spring 15 whose upper extremity engages a tension nut 16 threadedon the stem and adjustable.

to regulate the tension of the spring whose lower extremity engages thepart 35 ofthe Z-shaped plate. This spring is inwardly under tension tohold the keeper in the position shown in Fig. 14. The keeper is furtherprovided with an opening 47 adapted. V

to receive the part 12 .of the lockingpin when the arm 13 is in theunlocked posi- This condition is brought about by moving the' keeperdownwardly against the tension of,

its spring until the opening 47 is in aline- I ment withthe part 12 ofthe locking pin, in

. i which event the arm 13 will be raised to unlock the collapsed top-ofthe machine since I the rod 28 is under tension, to impart such movementto the said arm, the result being left, referring to Figs. 14 and 15,and I that the locking pin is thrust toward the through the opening 17,thus maintaining the keeper in-the down position with its wspringconsiderably compressed, all of. the

parts of the lock structure being then in the Between these two collarsis 10-.

Near its free extremity is position best illustrated in Fig. 15. Again,as soon as the arm 13 is manually moved to the locking position orthatshown in Figs.

1 and 1a, the keeper is automatically raised. by the'recoil of itsspring so that its open ing 17 is out of alinement with the part 42 ofthe locking pin and forms an abutment to lock the arm 13 inthe' saidposition until the keeper is again moved downwardly for the purpose ofreleasing the lock mechanism. The manner ofemploying this look inconnection with anautomobile top is illustrated in Fig. 8 in which thetop 48 is under stress to occupy theraisedv position under the influenceof springs 49 and '50 which act through the medium of crankarms 51, 52and 53, a link 54 and a rod 55. hen the top is in the closed orcollapsed position, the spring 50 is compressed and the spring d9stretched,-both springs being, therefore, under tension to raise the topto the position shown in Fig. 8. It should be understood that there is apair of springs 19 and 50 as well as the other parts with which theycooperate on each side of themachine. The crank arms 51 and 52 are faston a rock shaft 56. Below the rearportionof the machine is arranged arock spindle 57 which is journaled in hangers 58. Two crank arms 59 areconnected with this spindle and also with the lower extremities of thekeepers by rods 60 whose upper extremities are hooked intoopeningsrformedin the lower extremities of 'the keepers. The rockspindle 57 is furtherprovided with a crank arm 61 which is connected bymeans of a relatively long rod 62 ,with acrank arm 63 secured to thelower extremity of a vertically'disposed spindle 61 which is journaledin the body of the machine just forward of thedashboard 65,.the upperportion of the spindle having a crank arm. 66 which is connected with apull rod 67 one extremity of which projects rearwardly throughthedashboard, as shown at 68, where it is ac-. ,cessible to the person incharge of the machine. K g

Now, assuming that the top is in the down position and it is desired torelease it, the chauffeur will pullinwardly upon the ex tremity 68 ofthe rod 67 which will impart a partial rotary movment to the spindle 6%and in part a forward movement to the rod 62, which will actuate'therock spindle 57 to move the keepers. 3a downwardly to the position bestillustratedin Fig. 15, in which event the arms 13 will bev automaticallythrown to the unlocked position, or that shown in Fig; 15 through theinstrumentalityof the springs 32 mounted upon the rods 28, as heretoforeexplained In order to close the upper open extremity of the casingpart33 I providea housing .member 69 which is pivotally connected withtheopposite extremities of the pivot bolt 23 and is freely movable on saidbolt so that it may be employed for housing the part 33 or looking thearm 13 in the locked position, as may be desired. This housing member isprovided with an opening to receive the upper part 43 of the keeper, theopening being large enough to allow the tension nut to pass therethroughor occupy the position shown in Figs. 7 14 and 15. \Vhen it is desiredto lock the arm 13 in such position that'the keepers 34 cannot be moveddownwardly inorder to release the lock, the housing member is thrown tothe position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 thus forming a positivelock to prevent the releasing ofthe arms 13.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: a b 1.. In a lockfor vehicle tops, the combination witlr a frame, of an arm pivotallyconnected with the frame and under tress to move to the unlockedposition, a pin movable with the arm, and a spring-actuated keepernormally engaging the pin to prevent the movement of the arm when in thelocking position but movable against the ten- .SlOn of its spring torelease the arm.

2. In a lock of the class described, the combination with a frame, of anarm pivotally connected with the frame to move into the locked andunlocked position, aspring connected in operative relation with the armand under tension to move the latter into the unlocked position, a pinmovable with the arm, and an abutment normally springretained inposition to engage'the locking pin and maintain the arm in thelockingposition, the abutment being movable against the tension of it springfor releasing purposes. Y

3. The combination with a frame, of an arm pivotally mounted on theframe, a spring-actuated rod connected with the arm and under tension tothrow the arm and to maintain it in the unlocked position, a pin alsoconnected with the arm, and a spring-actuated keeper normally engagingthe pin to hold the arm in the unlocked position against the strainexerted by the rod but movable against the tensionof it spring forreleasing purposes. 7

4L. Ina lock for vehicle tops, the combination with a support, of an armpivoted on the support and provided with a circular part extendingbeyond and around its axis, a spring-actuated rod pivotally connectedwith said circular part, a pin also pivotally connected at one extremitywith the circular against movement, the keeper having an 7 opening forthe pin and being movable to allow the pin to enter said opening torelease the arm.

6. 'A look of the class described comprising a support, a pivoted arm, aspring actuated rod connected with the arm, a pin also connected withthe arm, a stationary guide for the pin, a keeper adjacent the guide andnormally forming an -abutment for the pin, the keeper being movable inthe support to release the pin.

7. Alock of the class described comprising a support a pivoted arm, aspring-actuated rod connected with the arm, a pin pivotally connectedwith the arm at one extremity, a stationary guide for the pin, a keeperadjacent the guide and normally engaging the pin to hold the arm againstmovement, the

keeper being movable to release the arm, and means for actuating thekeeper to release the pin and the arm controlled thereby.

8. A lock of the class described comprising a support, a pivoted arm, aspring-actuated rod connected with the arm, a keeper normally forming anabutment'to lock the arm against movement, and being movable torelease'the arm, and a pivoted member movable to house the locking pinstructure and also adapted to engage the pivoted arm 1n lockingrelation.

9. A lock of the class described comprising a support, a pivoted arm, aspring-actuated rod connected with the arm, a pin also connected withthe arm, a keeper normally forming a stop engaging the pin to preventthe movement of the arm, the keeper being movable to release the arm,and means pivotally mounted on the support and adapted to engage the armwhen in the locking position to prevent its release. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY WV. MOMULLIN.

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

